Mary Lee

What's your name?   
Mary Lee

What's your position?  
Weekend morning weathercaster and reporter

When did you start at KXAN?  
June 2007

What was your most memorable story?
My most memorable weather story was the Flash Floods of 2007. You could call it my introduction to Central Texas weather. I had just moved to Austin from California to experience one of the most devastating floods in Central Texas history. An unbelievable 19 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours in Marble Falls! Neighborhoods turned into lakes, homes were flooded and roads were washed away by torrential rain. Incredible! 

When I first started general assignment reporting, I covered the reunion of a firefighter and the baby he rescued more than 20 years ago. The baby, who the firefighter risked his life to save from a burning car, was an adult with a child of her own. She suffered third-degree burns over her entire body from the fire. The firefighter had tears in his eyes when he saw her for the first time since that raging fire. And for a brief moment, they both opened up their worlds to me and shared a part of their lives. It was then that I realized the heart and gravity of my job. 

How did you get started in TV?
I've actually always wanted to do this ever since I was young. After several internships in college, I started working at KOVR, the CBS affiliate in Sacramento, as a writer. From there, I went to KHSL-KNVN in Chico, Calif. I reported, anchored the morning show, and I did the weather there. (I learned how to do everything except sports!)

Where did you go to college?
University of California, Davis

What's your hometown?
Fairfield, Calif.

What's your favorite thing about Austin? 
The people! Everyone is so friendly. Austin is such a hip, cool city, but it's the people that give it that hometown feel.

What's your guilty pleasure? 
Eating everything! I absolutely love to eat. If you have food, you might want to hide it, because I'll probably ask for a bite!

Tell us about your family .
I love my family!  My mom and stepdad live in Pepin, Wisc. My dad and stepmom live in Silverdale, Wash. My sister lives in Minneapolis.  My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all live in Sacramento, Calif.  I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family, who has supported and believed in me from the very beginning!